#14. Teros

Lore

The Minotaur

"Searching the dragon 's chamber, we found yet another passage leading down. By the dwarf's reckoning, we were now twenty levels below the ruined keep. After a long descent, we emerged into the center of a vast stone labyrinth."

– Flynkin Furfoot, only survivor of Heroes for Hire's expedition to Peril Mountain


"I hate 'adventurers.' Always so sure, so sure. Like they have a magic spell that can tell good from evil, right from wrong."

– Teros

As the story goes...

The orphan boy-calf Teros relied on his terrible visage and instinct for sudden violence to survive on the streets of Dragonport. He got by as a stone carrier and debt collector until, in the gladiator pits, he found his true calling in reckless combat.

He thrived in the ring, crushing cleverer foes with implacable fury and animal wile. In the end, he could only be pitted against the rare ogre or giant, and he moved on to a life of wandering.

For a time, he carved out a place in Fangwild Forest, shouldering aside a wyvern and a hobgoblin clan. Later, he fell in with the Iron Legion, turning the tide of the Battle of Orc Pass for the Zombie Lord. His tenure as wizard's henchman ended typically - with the evil mage shrieking to him, "Finish Them!" while fleeing through a magic portal. He lived for a while deep in Peril Mountain, where he found a strange comfort in the maze of abandoned tunnels.

In Valhalla, Teros is indifferent to the rules or intent of the Tournament, but takes savage joy in all battle. His nightly visit to the mead hall is heralded by throngs of fleeing Valhallans.

Connections

• Brought to Valhalla by Brynn
• Ember befriended him in the Fangwild
• Was the first crewmonster recruited by Sidra in Valhalla, his loyalty to her is unshakable
• Xull's innovative use of the tactic "minotaur release" is still studied today (Xull was leader of the Iron Legion while Teros fell in with them)
• Was inattentive to Sentinel's rambling about Ulgrim's grumpiness

Context

Teros the minotaur. Today, the minotaur is a classic fantasy monster. It finds its origins, of course, in Greek mythology. The name "minotaur" comes from two Greek words. The "taur" part comes from the Greek word for "bull." No surprise there, considering one of the well-known Greek zodiac entities is Taurus, the bull. The "mino" part is derived from Minos, as in King Mino (ruler of Crete) from Greek legend. You may know him from the story of Theseus. The word "minotaur," then, means "bull of Minos."


It is easy to find the well-known Greek myths and stories surrounding the minotaur, but I'll summarize it here:

The god of the sea, Poseidon, gave Minos a white bull to use as a sacrifice. Minos decided to sacrifice another bull because he liked the white one so much. As punishment, Poseidon charmed Minos' wife, Pasiphae, to fall in love with the white bull. Pasiphae later had a son, one with a human body and a bull's head and tail, the minotaur. It started devouring humans, and so Minos (taking advice from the oracle of Delphi) built a huge labyrinth near his palace to imprison the minotaur.

Some time passes, and this is where Theseus comes in. Minos had a human son named Androgeus, who was killed by people from Athens. Minos then demanded of Aegeus, the Athenian king, that Athens pay for their crime by sacrificing 14 noble youth every year (or every 7 years or 9 years, accounts vary) to his minotaur. When the time came for the third round of sacrifices to be sent, Theseus, Aegeus' son, volunteered to slay the minotar. While in Crete, Minos' daughter, Ariadne, fell in love with Theseus and helped him navigate the labyrinth (most sources say she gave him a spool of thread so he could retrace his steps). Theseus killed the minotaur, saving his fellow Athenians from future sacrifices.

This is the well-known story of the minotaur, and it has inspired countless stories, films, games, etc.

Would a minotaur typically use the axe and hammer? Well, minotaurs are commonly associated with axes. Most fantasy art made of depicting minotaurs shows them wielding one or two axes. It's not entirely clear why this is the case, but minotaurs certainly have the strength to properly wield heavy weapons like a large axe. Hammers are not usually associated with this creature, but it is a heavier weapon, so it is a good second weapon for Teros.